Richard Sheppard's Sketchbooks, Watercolors, and Journals

Accommodations for the Urban Sketchers Symposium can be quite comfortable if you have a friend who’s nice enough to use thousands of accumulated Marriott points. My friend Phil had just enough points to score the Blackstone Hotel, just two blocks from the Goodman Center where the Symposium was centered in downtown Chicago. Thanks Phil!

The historic hotel was built by the Drake brothers, hiring architects Marshall & Fox to design it. It opened in 1910 and at the time it was the tallest building in Chicago. Noteworthy guests have included 12 consecutive presidents from Taft to Carter, Al Capone, and others. The Blackstone has also been used as staging for several notable films, including The Color of Money and The Untouchables.

The sliver of a view we had out our 19th floor room includes Grant Park and Lake Michigan off in the distance.

Tonight Carolyn Cooke and Randall Babtkis read selections of their published work at the Books on Stage (Produced by Janet Vail) event here in Cloverdale. Carolyn’s novel, Daughters of the Revolution, was named one of the best books of 2011 by the San Francisco Chronicle and The New Yorker Magazine. Randall is a published poet, a performance art impresario, and director of a graduate writing program. After the reading, Carolyn and Randall shared their numerous insights on how they weave their writing and marriage together. After a round of questions from the audience, wine and cheese was served in the lobby. A great evening all around!

Headed out to Goat Rock Beach (again) to avoid the Sonoma County heat wave. Today reached 112° in Cloverdale. Beach was cool and very windy. Had to seek shelter behind some rocks to avoid the gusts from blowing my painting supplies all over the beach.

Working in a new style today. Partially successful and partially not. But overall, I’m happy to have learned something new. This watercolor sketch is of an Episcopal Church on Broad Street here in Cloverdale.

The Ready, Set, Sketch group met at Santa Rosa Junior College today under crystal blue skies dripping with sunshine. The biblical flood that has plagued us for the past couple of months appears to be over, a welcome change.

I sketched Analy Hall where the art department is located. It was here that I took etching class nine times and would to take it again if I could. So other than sketching, printmaking is my second artistic love.